Apparatus for the control of highway crossing signals



June 30, 1931 H c. VANTASSEL ET AL 1,812,183

' APPARATUS FOR THE CONTROL OF HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGNALS I Filed June 4,1950

m ATTORNEY 7 way Locatedat this intersection is a high: Way crossing signal' S, which, in the form Patented June ,30," i931 N ED STATES HARRY crvAlvrAssnn; or rrrrsnnnen, AND'GEORGER. P LASTERER, OF SWISSVALE,

. -1 ENNsYLvANIA,:AssIeNons TO THE UNION swrrcn & SIGNAL -VALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or rnNNsYLvANIA APPARATUS ron'rnn coiv rnonor HIGHWAY oRo ssING SIGNALS Application filed. June 4,

" Our invention relates to apparatus for the control of highway crossing signals, and has for an object the provision of novel and 1111- proved controlling apparatus eliminating the necessity for insulated joints in the track rails. v

lVe will describe one form of apparatus embodying our invention, and will thBII'POID'G out the novel, features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view showin one form of apparatus Referring to the drawing, the reference characters land 1 designate the track rails 5: ofa railway track-Aalong which traffic norna lly moves in'the directio'nlndicated by the arrow, which track is intersected" by a highhere shown, is an electric bell.

Located between the track rails 1 and l 'to the right of the highway H, is-a transformer 'G -a nd also located betweentherails at the highway 'H' isa second'transformer G Each of these transformers comprisesa magnetizable core made up of two U-shapedmembersP2O and 21, which members carry a primary'windlng 22 and a secondary wlnding '23, respectively. 1 Each primary winding 22 constantly supplied with alternating'current from a suitable: source,'whic h is not. shown in I vthedrawing, but theterminals ofwhich are designated X and Y.Q--'The secondary 23 of transformer G is directly connected with the winding ofa relay E, and thesecondary of transformer G is directly connected with the winding of a relay F. The'partsof each transformerare so proportionedthatin the absence of acar or train the vol tage which is induced in the secondary wlndlng 23 ssuificient to energize thefassociated relay, but.

that, when the track 'immediately'adjacent the transformer is occupied by a car or train,

the wheels and axles and thetrucks' shunt so thatthe voltageiinduced-in the' secondary I A a H 'lows Normally relayK- is closed by'ivirtufe some of theprim'ary flux from the secondary,

' winding is reduced to an a mountsuflicient to transformer "which maybe used i'nisyst'ems." I g ever transformer G it will momentarily release the associatedrelay. One form'of embodying our invention, is disclosed and .,winding 9. 1

relay K is open.

1930. SeriaINo. 459,155.

COMPANY, OLESWISS- claimed in application for Letters Patent of I .55 relay L, and a slow-acting device M which, v

as here shown, is a thermostat havin a norinally open contact 13 and a" The Signal relay .K is Provided" with a minal Y.. It followsjtha't this circuit can l eating 60 pick -up circuit which passes from terminal U X, through frontcontact ll of relay F, front ontact l2 of relay L, contact l3of-thermd} stat M, a'nd. the winding of relay K to terbe closed whenandonly when-the relays'F I and L areboth closed and the thermostat conitact 13 is-also'closed; Relay K is p e-d w'vith a stick circuit'wh-ich passes fromftei minal -X, through front contact*2 of relay E, front contact 3 of relay K, and the winding of relay Kto-terminal Y5 Relay L is provided with a pick-up circuit which passes from terminal- B of a source Contact 50fv relay F, back contactfi of relay K, and the winding of relay L to terminal C of the same source. This circuit can be closed when andonly whenboth relays F and are 1 open. RelayL is provided with a stickcircuit which passes from terminal B," through "frontcon'tact 7 of relay L, back con'tact ti' of a relay K, and thewinding of'relay L toterthrough the front point of contact 5 of relay of direct current, through the backcpoint of F l F, front contact 8 of relay L, winding 9gancl' back contactv 10 of relay to terminal C. V The crossing bell S is provided with a circuit -which passes [from terminal B,

operating magnet ofthe bell S to terminal O} lt follows that'the bell will operatewhen The operation of the, apparatus is as =folof'its stickcircnit, so that bell S is silent. When a 'train moving'toward the'left passes 'thrOugh' back'contact- 40f relayK, and the open relay E, thereby opening at contact 2 the stick circuit for relay K, with the result that after relay E closes, relay K will remain open. The circuit for bell S will then be completed atcontact l of relay K, so that the bell will operate to indicate the approach of the train. When the train passes over transformer G relay F will open, thereby closing the pick-up circuit for relay L through back contacts 5 and 6 of relays F and K, so that relay L will become energized. This relay will then remain energized by virtue of its stick circuit through contacts 7 and 6. When the entire train has passed transformer G relay F will again close and will remain closed, thereby closing the circuit for winding 9 of the thermostat M through contacts 5, 8 and 10. After the expiration of a given interval of time, contact 18 of ther mostat M will close, thereby completing the pick-up circuit for relay K through contacts 11, 12 and 13. The closing of relay K will stop the operation of the bell S, and relay K will remain closed because of its stick circuit through contacts 2 and 3. Relay L will then open because its circuits will be open at contact 6, and the thermostat win-ding 9 will become deenergized because its circuit will be open at contacts. 10 and 8.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the crossing signal will start to operate when a train passes transformer G but that the signal will not stop operating until a given length of time after the train has passed the transformer G This length of time may be made sufficient to assure that the rear end of the train has passed the highway H.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying our invention,it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In combination, a railway track intersected by a highway, two normally closed relays E and F, means controlled by a train moving along said track for opening relay E as it approaches said highway and for opening relay F as it crosses the highway, a signal relay K, a stick relay L, a thermostat having a winding and a normally open contact, a stick circuit for relay K including a front contact thereof and a front contact of relay E, a pick-up circuit for relay L including a back contact of relay F and a back contact of relay K, a stick circuit for relay L including a front contact thereof and a back contact of relay K, a circuit for said thermostat winding including a front contact of re lay F and a front contact of relay L as well as a back contact of relay K, a pick-up circuit for relay K including a front contact of relay F and a front contact of relay L as well as said thermostat contact, and a highway crossing signal controlled by relay K.

2. In combination, a railway track intersected by a highway, two normally closed relays E and F, means controlled by a train moving along said track for opening relay E as it approaches said highway and for opening relay F as it crosses the highway, a normally closed relay K, a normally open stick relay L, a slow-acting device M, means responsive to the opening of relay E for opening relay K, means responsive to the opening of relay F while relay K is open to close relay L, means for subsequently holding relay L closed while relay K remains open, means for energizing said slow-acting device when relay F again closes provided relay L is closed and relay K is open, means for closing relay K after said slow-acting device has operated, and a highway crossing si na-l controlled by relay K.

3. In combination, a railway track intersected by a highway, two normally closed relays E and F, means controlled by a train moving along said track for opening relay E as it approaches said highway and for opening relay F as it crosses the highway, a signal relay K, a stick relay L, a slow-acting device having a normally open contact and an energizing winding, a stick circuit for relay K including a front contact of relay E, a pick-up circuit for relay L including a back contact of relay F and a back contact of relay K, a stick circuit for relay L including a back contact of relay K, a circuit for the winding of said slow-acting device includinga front contact of relay F and a back contact of relay L as well as a back contact of relay K, a pick up circuit for relay K including a front contact of relay F and a front contact of relay L as well as the contact of said slowacting device, and a highway crossing signal controlled by relay K.

4:. In combination, a railway track intersected by a highway,two transformers G and G located in the trackway in such positions that a train influences transformer G as it aproaches the highway, a transformer G as it crosses the highway, a source of current constantly connected with the primary of each transformer and the influence of a passing train being to materially reduce the output voltage of the secondary, a relay E connected with the secondary of transformer G a relay F connected with the secondary of transformer G a highway crossing signal, means responsive to the opening of relay E for setting said signal into operation, and means for stopping the o aeration of said signal after the expiration of a fixed interval of time following the opening and subsequent closing of relay F.

5. In combination, a railway track intersected by a highway, two transformers G and G located in the trackway in such po J sitions that a train influences transformer G as it approaches the highway, a transformer G as it crosses the highway, a source of cur rent constantly connected with the primary of each transformer and the influence of a passing train being to materiallyreduce the means responsiveto the opening of relay E output voltage of the secondary, a relay E connected rwith the secondary of transformer G a relay F connected with the secondary of transformer G a highway crossing signal,

for setting said signal into operation, a slowacting device set into operation by the opening of relay F, and means for stopping the operation of said signal after the operation 7 of said slow-acting device has been completed;

fee

In testimony whereof we afiix our signae tures.

HARRY-C. YVANTASSVEL.

GEORGE RPFLA STERER. v 

